New eviction regulations could leave hundreds of families living in Worksop at risk of homelessness.

Back in March, the government announced a new law banning landlords from evicting tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. On the 23rd August, this legislation is due to come to an end, meaning landlords will be able to legally evict tenants from their homes. 

We are warning that hundreds of single families who privately rent homes are at serious risk of homelessness.

The pandemic has already pushed countless people into hardship, but single parents and their children are particularly at risk. Of Worksop’s 1000 single-parent families, over 500 (53.9%) are living in privately rented accommodation. The charity Gingerbread reports that single parents are more likely to work in low paid and unstable jobs- if that parent loses their job, the sole source of income for their family, they will be unable to pay their rent and face arrears and eviction.

With widespread redundancies, mass unemployment, furlough schemes ending and the eviction ban lifting, the impact of coronavirus has created a perfect storm of events that could see hundreds of families losing their homes. 

Lucy Binch, CEO of Hope Community Services, said:

“Single parent families have already struggled hugely during the pandemic, with many forced to rely on Universal Credit and food banks to get by. Now, with rising unemployment and no way to pay the bills, they are facing homelessness- it’s vital that the government and the local authority work with charities such as ourselves to help support these vulnerable families.”

Here at HOPE, we are here to provide support to families across Nottinghamshire who are facing homelessness and feel they have nowhere to turn. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you are in need of emergency shelter or support.

We rely on the generosity of the public to ensure we can continue to run our services for local homeless families.

A £10 monthly donation helps run our family flat, which we run for homeless families in crisis. To support our work, donate here.